Nigeria’s real enemies By Abiodun Komolafe

“Then I said to them, ‘You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have
been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in
disgrace.’”- Nehemiah 2:17

The belief in some quarters is that the Bola Tinubu presidency is being confronted by two
enemies: the cabals and the masses. Well, while Nigeria’s real enemies are the impenitent and
chauvinistic cabals, the fact remains that the masses have consistently been at the receiving end of
successive governments’ bad policies and programs.

Nigeria’s real enemies are the uncaring and insensitive political establishment that brazenly
misinterpret socioeconomic brass tacks. They comprise the conflict merchants who recklessly
expand our national frontlines of political and economic inclinations; those who will never agree
to changes that can help stop the masses from being perpetually at their doorsteps; and those who
won’t allow the sacrifices of our military and paramilitary officers at ending terrorism, banditry
and other criminalities to yield any dividend.

They’re in the forces. They are also in the bureaucracy. Complacency is their watchword, inconsistency is their middle name. And it’s as if
the masses’ complexion was wrong at birth. So, it’s time the Tinubu presidency realized that
‘peace begins with a smile’. It’s time it appealed to the conscience of the masses because, truth
be said, they are the offended-yet-the-forgotten lot.

Going through Tinubu’s agenda, one could see how laudable they sounded. But would they ever
work in Nigeria’s present situation? With her ‘do-or-die’ condition, one doubts if her real
enemies are taking a ‘yes’ for an answer.

Anyway, Nigerians won’t be surprised if they have also penetrated the freshly-delivered Tinubu administration. If they have, will it be possible to get
them exposed and out of the way? Former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck
Jonathan, even Muhammadu Buhari knew them! Till Buhari left office, he never dared to reveal
the sponsors of Boko Haram as he once promised. Jonathan only confessed that Boko Haram
members were in his government, but he never named or exposed them till he left office.

A section of Nigerians were also of the belief that Yemi Osinbajo almost paid with his life in 2019,
for daring to ‘touch the untouchables’ during his short period as Acting President. Is it any
wonder that he never said or did anything so spectacular until the Buhari presidency expired?
When the president announced a review of the N8,000.00 conditional cash transfer to ‘the
poorest of the poor’, Nigerians had thought that it was going to be rechanneled to other areas like
refineries refurbishment, agriculture, job creation, and production activities. Little did they know
that it would only be moved from the National Social Register to the States! Apart from what
looks like taking the programme from pickpockets and giving it to known highway armed
robbers, it is bound to compound and complicate the country’s inflation rates, given the fact that
the shared money will at the end of the day patronize the same market, at the same time, without
adding to the corresponding volume of goods and services in the same market, at same time. The

bureaucracy is also there, with its business-as-usual disposition; and society continues to behave
as if nothing is happening!

As the president has decided to take the bull by the horn, he must be wary of the manipulator-
leaders in his government. Though not up to 5% of Nigeria’s population, they possess the power
to decide what happens to the remaining 95% of the population. The Sanballats and Tobiahs who
would always benefit from the fall of the walls and the temple of Jerusalem are within, and they
are always lurking around the corridors of power.

Behind their gestures, they always have hidden agenda. Sanballat advised Nehemiah to run away from the war but Nehemiah refused. Instead,
‘this feeble Jew’ got approval from God to do the political and physical reconstruction of the
walls. He led by example and the people supported him because of his sacrificial capabilities.

The story of Nehemiah is about the rebuilding of ancient Jerusalem’s walls. It is about the
powerful story of triumphs “over great odds, the people’s renewal of faith”, their “overcoming
of national shame and the reforming of their conduct.” It’s one unforgettable story of showing
forth, not showing off; of breaking forth, not breaking down. Above all, it’s a fine study of
leadership and giving up luxury in the palace for “hard labor in a politically insignificant
district”. Nigeria’s case is not any different. For now, things are not getting better and Nigerians
are hungry. They are also angry and, in some way, bitter! Nigeria is in the midst of trials of
various kinds. The cry for development, security, and employment opportunities is becoming
loud and overwhelming. Poor accountability and lingering inability to manage the most critical
components of the economy can only be likened to speaking from the gallery without having
practical experience of the situation on the ground. Attempts at blocking oil theft and foreigners’
exploitation of Nigerians and their commonwealth could only be compared to Nehemiah’s fierce
battles against the internal forces that fought him from all angles, and with all weapons.

Our religious bodies are not helping matters either. Beyond throwing punches in the air, what are
their prescriptions for the problems confronting dear fatherland? Is God not talking to them
again? Why are they so eager to share money? The situation has gone so bad that, if a politician
decides to build his house on a river, our spiritual leaders will build a canoe to the place. If they
can’t build it, they will go as far as contracting experts from Ilaje in Ondo State to help construct
a road to get there. Of course, there are millions of Nigerians who will follow the political
establishment into the lagoon.

Unfortunately, when Nigeria was to be born as a country, nobody remembered or sought the involvement of God. We brought Him in later, as an aftermath! The
colonialism that handed our freedom over to us was never based on godly considerations. So,
putting God at the center of our dealings was hypocritical. Ahmadu Bello had his own agenda.
Ditto for Obafemi Awolowo and Nnamdi Azikiwe. So, nobody made any attempt to reconcile
Nigeria’s ethnic nationalities through God. Who even knows if that’s the source of our
predicament? After all, ‘if the foundation be destroyed, what can the righteous do?’

Like Nehemiah, Tinubu must possess the inner eyes and the magic wand to decipher the hidden
agenda of Nigeria’s real enemies in the corridors of power because their antics are beyond what
ordinary eyes can see or glean. Nehemiah had opposition from legitimate enemies as well as the
people he was leading. Occasionally, the people were also discouraged and almost hopeless.
However, his story shows that God blesses the work of those who work diligently and devotedly.
He did ordinary tasks that brought great pleasure to God. Likewise, Tinubu can help bring

Nigeria up out of the mess in which she is presently immersed. But then, how will he overcome
the ancient pitfalls of putting Sanballats and Tobiahs in charge of his laudable visions to rebuild
Nigeria’s dilapidated walls? How will the president secure the buy-in of men and women in the
mold of the late Dora Akunyili: men and women with hearts of sacrifice and fearlessness;
men and women ‘who have honor’; men and women ‘who will not lie’?

May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us peace in Nigeria!

*KOMOLAFE writes in from Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State, Nigeria ([email protected])